I’ve had a gazillion hangovers and they all start with the same thing, a night of heavy drinking. But is it true that your hangover will be less severe because of vodka? The short answer is yes, because there are less congeners (by-products to make the vodka) than you will find in whisky, bourbon or even beer and so a hangover from vodka is not as intense as other spirits.
Why do you get a hangover and what is the science behind it?
The main cause of a hangover is ethanol – the alcohol in your drinks. It’s a toxic chemical that works in the body as a diuretic (see Wikipedia page if you are into science), which means it makes you pee more and you can become dehydrated as a result. Dehydration is one of the main causes of your hangover symptoms. But there are a lot of other things that can worsen your hangover.
If you do not sleep enough – When your body is tired it cannot break down toxins as fast as when you had your well deserved night of sleep.
Keep on drinking – This one is kind of obvious but your hangover will increase the more you drink.
Drinking on a sugar rush – If you drink shots with a lot of sugar in it (like Dropshot, Amaretto or Jägermeister) your hangover will be stronger. This uses all you B-vitamins and your body cannot replenish them.
Anything that’s dark – Dark colored spirits like bourbon, dark beers, wine or dark rum will increase your risk on having a massive hangover.
Not visiting your local kebab farmer – If the alcohol can travel through your body without any obstacles the hangover will be bad, really bad. So having something in your stomach will soften the hangover. Pro tip: Do not eat multi-vitamins and especially B-vitamins because that will make your hangover worse.
How do I make sure I won’t get an hangover?
Well thank you for asking. The simple answer is to not drink, but that is no fun, right? So to battle a hangover you need to make sure you do the following:
Stay hydrated – Make sure you drink water or soda when you are on a drinking binge. Pro-tip: Drink some Aquarius, AA or Gatorade in the morning.
Stop in time – It takes up to one hour to process one unit of alcohol. Make sure you stop in time so that the breakdown process can start before you go to bed.
Eat something – Make sure you eat and drink in the morning. Especially bananas and kiwis can work wonders.
Now that you are all set and know the pros and cons of hangovers, you can go and have yourself a party. Don’t forget to bring your bottle of Amsterdam Republic Vodka.